Today, I am a grateful person. A few years back, I almost lost my beloved husband. He had been having chest pains that we later learned were from a 90% blockage in one of his coronary arteries, the “widow-maker,” as the doctor so eloquently put it. The culprit was cholesterol.
This month, it is . There’s no better time than now to take action. Taking care of your heart is easy with some steps.
Watch your diet.
Unfortunately, we fell into a habit of eating high cholesterol foods like hamburgers and other fried foods. Surely, they taste good, but they also have the potential to cause build-up in arteries.
Exercise for good health.
Fortunately, we discovered a few years ago. Because we geocache, we walk and sometimes, quite a bit. When we’re out on the trail, we think nothing of walking four, five, six miles. It’s all in a day. The geocaching gives us a focus. It’s not about the miles; it’s about the finds.
Eat a healthy diet.
A diet rich in whole grains can help reduce cholesterol by physically removing it from your body. Whole grain products are readily available now. Clear labeling of products that are 100% whole wheat makes it easier for consumers to make good choices. As use of these products has grown, so have prices dropped. Eating healthy is more affordable.
Know your cholesterol.
They say you can’t know where you’re going unless you know where you’ve been. A simple blood test can tell you what your risk is. Ideally, , more often if you have a history of high cholesterol or are on medication to control cholesterol levels.
While we know high blood pressure is the silent killer, equally should we be aware that high cholesterol levels are equally as silent and deadly. Do yourself and your loved ones a favor today and get it checked soon.
